The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-15
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
Camilla Ladd and Fred Dusenbury
were to have been married ON the
twentieth.
The wedding dress of satin and point
lace was ready. the bridal-tour was all
planned, the minister was engaged;
and if you had asked either Camilla or
Fred if anything could hinder their be-
ing married on the appointed day,
they, thinking of their utter confidence
in each other, would have answered
that nothing but death.
And death did!
They were to have been married on
the twentieth. On the seventeenth
Mrs. Dusenbury, Fred's stepmother,
fell very strangely i'll, and died. She
was ailing little on one morning; be-
fore the next she was dead.
The night she died she sent for
Camilla Ladd, of whom she had always
been fond.
Camilla, who was a sensitive little
creature, was dreadfully frightened
when the man who came for her said
he thought Mrs. Dusenbury was diving;
but her mother went with her, and
waited in the next room; for Mrs
Dusenbury insisted upon seeing Camil-
la alone.
Camilla almost screamed when she
saw the sick woman. she was so
changed.
Camilla was trembling. Her face
and lips looked as if she was going to
faint
Mrs. Dusenbury reached hand that
was hot ike fire one moment, and cold
as ice the next, and clasped her wrist.
'.Don't you faint now, Camilla
Ladd,' she said almost fiercely. You
must hear what I've got to say. I'm
dying. Fred Dusenbury has poisoned
me to get the property sooner, and 1
know it; and / want you to promise
me you won't marry him."
Camilla was little, slender, yellow
haired creature, a blue-eyed, baby
faced girl, that you wouldn't have ex-
pected any exhibition of spirit from,
much less enough to question the asser-
ton of a dying woman.
But the blue eyes darkened, the
shaking figure grew still, as she heard
the man she loved SO awfully accused.
Il don't believe it, Mrs. Dusenbury,"
she said. If you are dying, and say
so, you are mistaken somehow. Fred
wouldn't hurt a hair of your head for
a million times as much money as he
would get at your death" F"
''He has. l tell you he has, and l
know it. If you don't believe me, ask
the doctor. He's downstairs in the
parlor now. l can't help Fred Dusen-
bury getting the money. but l don't
want you to marry him. Promise me
you won't, Camilla. l made the match.
| want to break it now, to punish him.
It's all can do, and l know how he
loves you.'
Camilla was very white, and she did
not look like fainting.
This was an awful crisis, and she
tried to be strong for Fred's sake.
81 can't promise you that. Mrs. Du-
senbury," she said, "beeause it would
look as if believed Fred had done
what you say. But I'll promise you
not to marry him or anyone till it's
found out who poisoned you, if anyone
has"
''Will you promise to do all you can
yourself to find out the truthPn gasped
the dying woman.
'tYes, l will"
''And you won't marry him till you
know?''
81 won't marry anyone" said Ca
milla, and the next moment was sorry
she had promised. For what if the
truth should never be discovered?
go away now, and send the doctor
back to me-" Mrs Dusenbury said,
''and mind you keep your promise.
You'll find it twas Fred, if you ever find
the truth, and those are my last words
to you"
Camilla went away and sent the doc
tor. As the physician left the room,
Fred Dusenbury came towards Camilla.
His handsome face was haggard.
He looked years older in few hours.
Camilla burst into tears.
Fred stood looking at her gloomily.
''All is over then between us, Ca
milla?'' he said '.But | don't need
ask. Who could refuse to believe a
| dying woman? / don't blame you.
But / never harmed her, or had such a
| thought -
Il know that, Fred: / told her so.
How can you think / would believe
such a thing of you, if she did say it
when she was dying?n
you're an angel, Camilla" cried
Fred, Frightening little. as he took
her in his arms.
..Wait till you hear what 1 promised
her. I'm sorry now"
You haven't promised her never to
marry me? She said she should ask
you to. Oh, Camillar'
Il promised her not to marry any
one till it was found out who poisoned
her. if anyone had Do you think it is
/ poison, Fred?n
ssDr. Bayne says it is. I am glad
you made that promise, Camilla. and /
will help you to keep it. 1t is very
different one from the other
..But what if we should never dis
cover who did it?''
Then we should never marry, my
darling, even if you had not made that
promise. Do you think anything
would induce me to marry you if you
were willing, till this business is clear
ed up? may be arrested and tried
for murder"
Il s.Oh no. no."
Il hope not. But she tells every one
who comes that / have poisoned her.
1t is going to make bitter business for
me.
i And it did.
i Mrs Dusenbury died that night. and
accused her stepson of her death al
most with her last breath.
DIR. Bayne had done his best to argue
her out of it, but in vain She died as
Iserting it
The doctor was fair man. He
knew. and told every one he saw. that
Mrs Dusenbury had not single rea-
! son for accusing her stepson. except
, her own dislike and suspicion of him.
She did not pretend to have
But the words of the dying have
double weight. and when they are
) gone. it is as if they still uttered them
.. from the grave.
Poor Fred was the only one whom
Mrs Dusenbury's death would benefit.
She had undoubtedly died of poison,
,, land she had accused him
Public opinion said he must be guilty,
! Though the coroner's inquest failed tc